The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-07-19

! first mate. Walker was married to
Russell's wife's aunt, and that aunt
had raised Mrs. Russell and had also
raised Cain when she became Mrs.
Russell. Walker had also been averse
to the match, as he was badly mashed
on the girl before her marriage. And
the friction of competition
between the rival boats had not tended
at all toward healing the early breech.
Mrs. Russell was a timid little Great.
ure, and when her husband was alb.
sent from home, allowed herself to be
domlneered over by this pair most un-
mercifully.
1t was during one of these absences
of Engineer Russell that Walker was
at home, his boat being laid up for re.
pairs. AS was usual on such &C.
casions, Walker patronized the beer
saloon quite freely, and in an intoxi.
Gated frenzy he went home one Friday
night, and after making it so interest
ing for his wife that she took
refuge with her neice, Walker pro-
ceeded to make kindling wood of the
furniture and cook his breakfast with
it in the morning. Then he proceed.
ed to the residence of the Russells and
informed his spouse and Mrs. Russell
that he was going to Arkansas, and
bade them pack up everything ready
for start that night when he would
bring team. The wife was nothing
loath and between them they forced
Mrs. Russell to comply. Shortly
after dark Walker arrived with q
team he had borrowed from a neigh
Dor. Without consulting him the
goods were loaded up and the
party started out. About two hours
after their departure Russe!s boat
came in, and his dismay on arriving
at home may better be imagined than
described. All inquiry as to the
cause of the departure, or the where
abouts of his spouse failed to elicit the
least information, and shortly after
midnight Russell found his way to the
the squire's Office. Even as he relat-,
ed his bereavment with fearful eyes
the owner of the missing team came
in to report his loss. Hastily dress
ing himself the squire went
to the church and vigorously
rang the bell. In a few
minutes the entire village was congre-
gated, and after listening in open
mouthed wonder at the story of the
squire and his disconsolate engineer,
several posses were organized and sent
out to scour the country. About Z
o'clock Sunday morning one Of the
posses returned with the truants,
whom they had captured in camp
some six miles from town. Squire
Dahler was not disposed to allow
justice to sleep. but at once ordered
his court convened and a jury sum-
moned. 1t was a hot Sabbath In
July, and when the entire town was
crowded into bis little office
the pleasure of the occasion may be
better imagined than described. A
clerk was appointed to take down the
proceedings in miniature, which the
squire said had to be forwarded to the
governor. The trial proceeded, but it
was full p. m. when the hearing was
closed, and the case given to the jury,
who, without leaving their seats, re-
turned a verdict of guilty, with the
sentence Of hanging for Walker, and
ten years in the penitentiary for his
wife. The squire read the verdict to
the defendants, and Mrs. Walker
fell in dead faint and
was carried out of the close
room into the yard and laid on the
grass while her husband fell upon his
knees and begged for mercy from the
court SO pityingly that even his honor
relented and finally agreed to commute
his sentence to two years in the peniten-
tiary and the wife's punishment to be
left to Mrs. Russell. 1t was growing
late by this time and there being no |
way of sending the prisoner to the |
the pen before the morning train, the
constable declared he was too much
worn out to watch him and would not
do so. This was finally adjust
ed by placing Walker on
bis personal recognizance to
report to the justice in the morning
and making him take his oath to do
SC.
Remember" said his honor, "if
you fail, will let the verdict of the
Jury stand and you shall be hung as
soon as you are caught"
With this admonition Walker was
released and everybody went home.
Next morning both Walker and his
wife had disappeared and what be-